Tutorials: RCS Widget: Send & Wait for Reply

The Send RCS and Wait for Reply widget sends an RCS message, then waits for a reply from the recipient. The Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget goes under the RCS category in missio™ Canvas.

Overview

Tutorial Updates Coming Soon
RCS has recently been updated in Canvas. This tutorial is being revised to reflect the latest changes, and updates are coming soon. Some steps or screenshots may not match the current Canvas experience in the meantime.

Required Access: Voxtelesys Portal

Disclaimer: You must register to become a verified sender before using RCS. Please open a Support Ticket to initiate the process.

Last Updated: 8/21/2026

Introduction to RCS

What is RCS?

RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next generation of mobile messaging, designed to replace traditional SMS with a richer, more interactive experience. Delivered primarily through the Google Messages app, RCS transforms the simple text field into a dynamic, engaging communication channel. RCS messages are sent from a verified brand profile (not just a phone number), featuring your logo, brand name, and colors. This builds instant trust and significantly reduces the risk of phishing or fraud. Additionally, RCS messages can include actions/suggested replies, which are interactive buttons displayed with an RCS message. Up to 11 actions are allowed per RCS message.

rcs graphic and use case image

The Send RCS & Wait for Reply widget sends an RCS message and pauses the flow until a response is detected or a timeout occurs. It enables two-way engagement by routing the flow based on the recipient's action. The flow resumes via:

RCS/SMS Reply Received: For processing user input or keywords.
No Reply (Timeout): To trigger a re-engagement nudge or close the session.
Failed to Deliver: To initiate a channel-switch (e.g., falling back to a phone call or standard SMS).

Use Cases:

Appointment Scheduling: "Reply 'YES' to confirm your 2:00 PM slot." The flow waits to either confirm the booking or suggest a new time.
Customer Feedback: Sending a "Rate us 1-5" message. The flow branches into a "Thank You" for high scores or a "Support Escalation" for low scores.
Two-Factor Authentication: Asking a user to tap a "Yes, it's me" suggested reply button before granting access.

Send RCS Message Widget vs. Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget

The table below highlights the key differences between the Send RCS Message Widget and the Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget. For guidance on sending one-way RCS messages that immediately advance the flow, see the Send RCS Message Widget tutorial

Feature	Send RCS Message	Send RCS & Wait
Primary Goal	Notification/Alerting	Engagement/Collection
Flow Impact	Instantaneous	Paused/Stateful
Best For	High Volume Updates	Decision trees & Support
Fallback Logic	Delivery failure only	Delivery Failure and Non-response

Add the Widget

rcs send & wait widget in the widget library

To use the Widget simply click and drag it into the flow.

Name the Widget (Optional)

Note that naming the Widget can help identify it with tools later on. It is case sensitive, does not accept spaces or dashes.

Widget Settings

send rcs & wait for reply widget settings

The Send RCS & Wait for Reply widget has the following configuration abilities under Widget Settings:

Service Trunk Group

The service trunk group to use for sending the message. This is automatically set to the service trunk group associated with the Flow.

The contact phone number of the execution.

From

The sender associated with the flow.

Timeout

Time in seconds to wait for a reply.

Message Text

The RCS message content to send to the recipient.

Advanced Settings: SMS/MMS Fallback (Optional)

The Send RCS & Wait for Reply widget has the following SMS/MMS Fallback capabilities under Advanced settings:

Enable SMS/MMS Fallback

Auto-switch to SMS/MMS if RCS fails.

Trunk Group

Trunk group for fallback delivery.

Fallback Recipient

The number receiving the fallback message.

Fallback Sender

Sender ID used for the fallback channel. This number must be assigned to a messaging application using this Flow.

Fallback Message Content

Simplified content optimized for SMS standards.

Multimedia Attachment (URL)

Optional, providing a valid URL will trigger an MMS fallback.

Advanced Settings: Smart Content Translation (Optional)

smart content translation settings

The Send RCS & Wait for Reply widget has the following Smart Content Translation capabilities under Advanced settings:

Enable Smart Content Translation (Optional)

Translate the message text to another language. If this option is selected, choose the language model, source language, and destination language for the translation.

Language Model (Optional)

The AI model utilized for the translation task. Currently, we only support Google as a vendor. Text is billed in 100 character intervals and pricing is based on the model selected.

[Google] Large Language Model: use Google’s LLM to translate text. The LLM supports fewer language pairs than the NMT model, but large language models tend to generate more natural sounding translations.
[Google] Neural Machine Translation: use Google’s NMT model. The NMT model supports many more language pairs, but may not be as natural sounding as an LLM.

From (required if Language Model is selected)

The language to translate text from. The input text should be typed in this language. Automatic language detection is only supported if the user chooses to use the NMT model.

To (required if Language Model is selected)

The language to translate to.

Actions/Suggested Replies (Optional)

Actions/Suggested Replies are interactive buttons displayed with your RCS message. These buttons will appear in chronological order. Up to 11 Action Types can be added per RCS message.

For best practices, take a look at Google's Documentation.

Available Actions & Suggested Replies

Action Type	Function
Suggested Reply	Sends a predefined reply that the user selects.
Open URL	Directs the user to a designated link.
Dial Phone	Directs the user to dial a phone number you specify.
Show Location	Displays a designated map location.
Request Location	Requests that a user share their current location.
Create Calendar Event	Creates a calendar event on the user’s device.

Adding an Action

add action button at the bottom of the send & wait for reply widget

To add a new action, click "+Add Action."

action type settings

Select the desired action from the "Action Type" drop-down and enter the required information.

actions in the send & wait widget with a red box over the move button

The order of the actions can be changed by using the move button.

actions under the send RCS & wait widget

The added actions will appear in the Actions drop-down of the Send RCS & Wait widget.

a red invalid symbol next to an action in the Send & Wait drop-down

The red invalid settings symbol next to an action indicates that the action was not configured correctly. Return to the action to configure any missing information

Widget Transitions

send RCS & wait widget transitions

The Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget has the following transition capabilities:

RCS Reply Received

Activated when a RCS reply has been received from the recipient.

SMS Reply Received

Activated when a SMS reply has been received from the recipient.

No Reply

Activated when no reply has been received within the specified timeout.

Failed to Deliver

Activated when the original outbound message was unable to be delivered.

Connect the Widget

connecting the Send RCS & Wait for reply widget

Now, you will connect the Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget.

adding the send rcs & wait for reply widget to other widgets

Adding the Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget is completed!

To continue the flow, connect more Widgets to the opposite end of the Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget.

Connect More Widgets

Now connect more widgets!

For step-by-step guidance on configuring widgets across Voice, Messaging, RCS, Capture, Controls, and Tools, check out our Widget Tutorials

Tutorials: RCS Widget: Send & Wait for Reply

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